Meara's Granddad lives by the mysterious lake of Loughareema. Some days it’s full and shimmering, and some days it's completely empty! Grandad has plenty of stories about why it vanishes. Is it mermaids? Narwhals? Giants? Meara doesn't believe any of these stories, but with a little imagination she may eventually discover the ‘real’ reason ...
Category: Accelerated Reader - Lower Years, Picture Book
Meara's Grandad lives by the mysterious lake of Loughareema. Some days it’s full and shimmering, and some days it's completely empty! Grandad has plenty of stories about why it vanishes. Is it mermaids? Narwhals? Giants? Meara doesn't believe any of these stories, but with a little imagination she may eventually discover the ‘real’ reason ...
Dive into author-illustrator Paddy Donnelly’s captivating tale, a celebration of a young girl’s determination, a granddad’s wisdom, and the fantastical wonders of the natural world.
Paddy Donnelly is an Irish author & illustrator living in Belgium. He grew up on the north coast of Ireland, surrounded by mythical stories of giants, magical creatures, and shape-shifting animals—all set in a stunning landscape from another time. All of this prompted his love for nature, animals, the sea, and storytelling. He creates his illustrations digitally, but loves working with a textured, painterly approach. The Vanishing Lake is his debut author-illustrated picture book, based on a real lake close to his childhood home in Ireland. He wishes Pluto were still a planet.
A wonderful read for adults and children alike, as it is a journey of discovery.
We all really enjoyed this story and its surprise ending. We all gave it 10/10 - Junior Infants, Senior Infants and First Class, Drom NS, Co. Tipperary
A magical melding of myth and science, this adds new layers of imagination to the story of the real Co Antrim lake Loughareema, whose appearance and disappearance may owe much to its chalk bed and unusual drainage pattern, but whose legends are much more intriguing. Ghosts of the drowned and of kelpie spirits have haunted the vanishing lake for centuries but Donnelly, who grew up near the North Antrim coast, creates a whole new web of possible - and impossible - explanations for the erratic behaviour of the lake’s water. When young Meara’s grandad suggests the water has been soaked up by the fleeces of swimming sheep, she sees straight through his story, so he tries a different tack. “The mermaids took the plug out again,” he offers. “Or I suppose it could have been narwhals doing headstands. They poke holes in the lake bed with their horns and all the water drains out.” His theories questioned by his logical granddaughter, Grandad asks: “Do you only believe what you can see?” It’s a question pertinent not just to Donnelly’s story, in which truth may be stranger than fiction, but to most of Ireland’s tourist and heritage sites, where the attractions of the natural landscape are augmented and enriched by the power of the accomplished storyteller
a captivating tale that celebrates a young girl's determination, a granddad's wisdom, and the fantastical wonders of the natural world
incredibly wonderful … a mysterious, charming, beautifully illustrated tale of natural wonder
Download Activity sheets: A drawing of Meara on the lake bed to colour in
Download Activity sheets: Meara is boating on the lake with grandad. Spot 8 differences between the 2 pictures
Download Activity sheets: Meara is exploring the lake bottom. Spot 8 differences between the 2 pictures
Download Activity sheets: Questions and activities based on The Vanishing Lake
